Her Flaming Rose
by JackQuake
Summary: Because, really, the good guy doesn't always get the girl.
1. First

Because, really, the good guy doesn't always get the girl.

* * *

The warm summer breeze rolled throughout the woods, giving life to anything it touched. The sky was a vibrant blue with the sun radiating proudly in the center. There were no clouds to be found anywhere; they were probably burned by the sun's aura. Amidst an abandoned forest in a random clearing, far from any civilization, sat a proud dragon with scales as red as blood. His piercing yellow eyes were fixed on a young boy with pink hair sitting in front of him. With his tail protectively wrapping the child, the dragon's face was one of amusement as he listened to the boy ramble on.

"…and then BAM! I punched the boar in the face and it ran away." He said, throwing his right fist up on the air for emphasises. The dragon smiled warmly at him before he looked up at the sky, inspecting for the time. _It was around noon, _the giant beast decided as it sighed and turned its head down to face the young boy.

"That's nice Natsu. Now, I want you to tell me, what's the date today?" The dragon rumbled, poking the pink-headed child with his snout. Natsu stumbled back and caught his balance on the dragon's tail before scrunching his face in concentration.

"Uh… June the 6th?" He asked, hopeful. The dragon hummed in agreement. _1 more day, _he thought, _ I have just one more day. I don't want to leave him behind, but I know that I have to. But, I won't be leaving behind a child anymore. I'll be leaving a legacy. I know he will do great things._ Igneel paused, looking intently at Natsu. _He still needs to be taught one more thing though. I think that's it time that I gave him the talk. _

"Correct. Now listen close, Natsu. I have to give you another lesson before I leave."

"Before you what?" Natsu asked, looking at him. _Shit._ Igneel though, internally biting his tongue. _I can't let that slip through. _

"Before the end of the end of the day. And no, this will not be about a new fighting technique." Natsu groaned in disappointment.

"Awww do we really have to, Igneel?" He whined, making puppy-dog eyes at him. Igneel growled and looked away, determined not to be swayed.

"Yes, you have to Natsu. This is really important." Natsu crossed his arms and pouted, but otherwise didn't say a word. Good. This was going to make this much easier. "Okay, Natsu. Do you know who I am to you?" Natsu's face filled with confusion before his eyes lit up.

"Of course! You are my awesome father, the mighty fire dragon Igneel." The dragon's chest filled with pride for his son and he smiled at Natsu.

"Very good. Now what is the feeling you feel towards me?" Natsu stared at him blankly.

"What?"

"Oh-er-what I meant to say was…er…" Igneel stammered, unsure of what to say. He cursed underneath his breath before beginning again. This was going to be really hard to explain.

"Okay, Natsu. When you look at me, how do you feel?" Natsu grinned.

"I feel warm and safe. I feel as if you will protect me no matter what , and I feel as if you're the strongest thing on this planet. I feel… as if I really did I have a dad, it would be you. You make me who I am, Igneel." Tears brimmed at the corner of his eyes as Igneel looked fondly at Natsu. He grunted and made the tears vanish, not wanting to show any weakness. He was the mighty Igneel, after all.

"A-and what would you call this… emotion?" He asked, hopeful that Natsu would get it the first time. Natsu thought for a long time before snapping his fingers.

"Is it liking?" He asked hesitantly. Igneel was stunned at Natsu. Did Natsu really understand what he said? Was there really a brain under that thick skull? Did he really know? "Oi! Igneel!" Natsu said, flailing his hands in front of his face. Igneel shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts.

"Actually Natsu, yes. You're right. For maybe the first time since you were born, you used your brain. Well done." Natsu looked at him in mock hurt.

"Hey!" Igneel snickered before deciding to begin again.

"Okay Natsu. Now, do you like me?" Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Of course I do, Igneel. You know that." Igneel hesitated a bit before saying the next line.

"Do you know what comes when you really like someone, Natsu?" Natsu tilted his head at him, not quite getting what Igneel was trying to say. He shook his head and looked up at Igneel.

" What is it Igneel?" He asked. Igneel drew out a weary breath (which resulted in smoke coming out of his snout) and looked at Natsu straight in the eye.

"It's called love, Natsu. When you truly, truly, like someone, you will love them." Natsu raised his hand to interrupt bit Igneel stopped him. "Let me finish Natsu. Then I'll let you ask the questions." Natsu pouted again but was otherwise quiet. " Okay so when you really like someone, you'll find that you love them. Love, Natsu, is the strongest emotion in this world. It will outshine everything that is out there and will rid anything from darkness. It has the power to do wonders, son. You'll find out about it as you grow older. However, there are many different kinds of love. For example, the kind of love that you have towards me is family-based. You'll only love people that are in family, or are related to, in this way. With me, you're extremely comfortable around me and you love me as a son would love his father. With respect, admiration, and adoration. That being said, when you grow up, you'll make many friends. Now, do you remember what a friend is Natsu?"

"Yes, Igneel." Natsu dully replied, urging him to move along.

" Good. Now, of the friends that you make, some will be closer to you than others. However with all of these friends, you'll want to protect them and make sure that no harm ever befalls them. They'll be special towards you. This is also another type of love, Natsu. This is a love which is friend-based." Igneel paused, hoping that Natsu would understand. He slowly nodded his head and Igneel continued. "You'll love and make many friends Natsu. And that's wonderful. Having a lot of friends in never a bad idea. However, there is another type of love Natsu. One that dominates all the others and leaves them standing in the dusk. This type of love is most important towards a dragon slayer. The type of love that matters most to a dragon slayer is the romantic type of love." Natsu looked at him with wide, questioning eyes.

"What's ro-romance?" Natsu piped, trying the new word on his tongue. Igneel blushed and looked away in embarrassment. Thankfully, his red scales covered up what was most of his blush.

"Oh…well…er…" Igneel stumbled, unsure of what to say. Again. He growled in frustration. Damn it, Natsu. He didn't have time to be explaining what romance was to a little child. "Just listen to me, Natsu. You'll find out when you're older what romance is." _Yes,and even if you don't know what it is, I can certainly bet your mate will._ He chuckled, having pity to whichever girl he was going to be mates with. The chances of Natsu being romantic were exactly one in a million. Poor girl. "Remember this though Natsu. There will come a day when you will find someone who you love more than friends and family. Perhaps even more than me-"

"Impossible!" Natsu exclaimed, "I can't love anyone more than you, Igneel."

"Will you let me finish?" Igneel rumbled, "That day will come. Whether you want it or not. When you do find this person, almost immediately you will know that something is different about them. That is usually your first indicator. Afterwards, you'll have to, no need to, protect them. For you, they are your lifeline. This is usually the second indicator that they are your mate. The last and final indicator should be that no matter what, you will always want to make this person happy. Always. And you will value their happiness over your own. Anything you can do to make them happy, you'll gladly do it. By then you should have realized that they are your mate, Natsu."

"My mate?" Natsu asked, tilting his head to one side.

"Yes, Natsu, your mate. While a normal human being can only fall into this romantic type of love once, dragon slayers cannot. They are bound to their one mate for eternity and cannot love another person the same way that they loved their mate. Now, listen carefully now Natsu, this is the important part." Igneel paused, letting the information sink in. Natsu nodded, his eyes wide in anticipation. "You do realize that as a dragon slayer, you have a lifetime that is four times longer than a human, right?" Natsu bobbed his tiny head. "Well here's the catch. As a dragon slayer, you only have one perfect mate. Like I said before, you will only fall in this type of love once. And while the feelings might be weird and confusing, you will know who it is when you find your mate. You will know that they are yours. When you do find her, and you both fall in love, you will have to mark her as yours. That way, other dragon slayers know to back off. How you would do this is to bite her on the side of her neck. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Igneel." Natsu mumbled.

"Good. After you have marker her Natsu, half of your lifeline will be transferred to hers so that you both can live happily ever after." Igneel finished, with a distant glint in his eyes, thinking about Natsu and his future mate. He snickered. Boy, she was going to have a hard time with him. Where they ever going to get to the point of having children? Oh, who was he kidding? Of course Natsu was going to produce offspring. Somebody had to carry his dragon slayer magic after Natsu. Daddy Natsu. Igneel almost laughed out loud. This immature idiot was going to become a father? Dear god. Igneel smiled weakly. But, no matter how immature Natsu was, Igneel knew that he was going to be a great father.

"But what if she doesn't love me?" Natsu's voice brought Igneel crashing into the present. He looked at Natsu, shocked.

"W-what?" He asked hesitantly.

"What if she doesn't love me?" His onyx eyes pierced through Igneel as Igneel gaped at him in wonder. Since when could he produce a glare like that? He shook his head. Why did he think that his mate wouldn't love him?

"That's never going to happen, Natsu. Because you'll be able to woo any girl. Remember this, Natsu. The good guy always ends up with the girl. And you are my son, after all. Any girl should be honored to have you as her mate."

"Yeah!" Natsu squeaked, throwing a punch in the air. Igneel rumbled and snuggled Natsu closer.

"Igneel?" Natsu asked?

"Hmm?" The dragon asked.

"What's woo?" Igneel sighed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

_Time Skip_

"...And this Natsu, is Fairy Tail!" Master Makarov exclaimed, with a twinkle in his eyes. Natsu looked at the large building with wide eyes. He looked at Master Makarov who was smiling warmly at him. "So?" He asked. "What do you think?"

"It's big." Natsu said. Makarov responded with a hearty laugh.

"Here," he said, wrapping his arms around Natsu's shoulder. "Let me show you inside." He led Natsu through the double doors with comforting arms. He opened the doors, revealing a large hall inside. At a corner lay a bar filled with alcohol and maids. There were benches surrounding the entire guild and at the end of the hall lay a large board, filled with sheets of paper. Natsu looked at the place with wide, curious eyes. The place was overflowing with mages. Natsu had never seen this many people in his entire life. Much less in one place, at the same time. He gripped Makarov's arm and Makarov looked down at him and smiled.

"Don't worry, Natsu. None of the people here will ever hurt you. In fact, most of these people will be your friends!" He exclaimed. Friends. Natsu knew that word. Igneel had mentioned it before...before he had left. His hand clutched his chest. _Where did you go, Igneel? I swear, that one day, I will find you, _ he vowed. "Listen up, brats!" Makarov screeched, effectively silencing the guild. Every mage in the guild turned their heads and looked at Natsu. He could feel their eyes boring into his soul, and immediately felt uncomfortable. He lowered his gaze to the ground and quietly shuffled his feet.

"We have a new member to the guild today. Everyone, please welcome Natsu Dragneel!" He yelled, gesturing towards Natsu. The guild roared in approval as Natsu blushed and looked away. Makarov laughed and gestured towards a girl to come near him. A tall elegant girl with long purple hair approached Natsu with a brilliant smile on her face. Natsu grinned back and the girl let out a silent laugh in response. "Hey, Teena. How you doing?" The girl turned her head towards Makarov and smiled.

"Good master, and you?"

"Fine. Did you bring the stamp?" Teena brought out an odd stamp and placed it on her hands. Makarov nodded and turned towards Natsu. "This here puts the guild mark on your body. It officially recognizes you as a Fairy Tail mage, and makes you a part of our family. So, where do you want it? And in what colour?" Natsu thought about it. His favorite colour was obviously red, as it reminded him of fire and Igneel. So where to put it? He grinned. Perfect.

''On my right shoulder and in red." Teena smiled at the young boy and pressed the stamp on his shoulder. There was a bright light and suddenly, Natsu had a deep, dark red Fairy Tail mark on his right shoulder. He grinned at Teena who grinned back. She shuffled his hair and left, going to the bar. He looked at Makarov who was smiling brilliantly.

"Here, let me show you the mages that are around your age." He said, guiding him to the middle of the hall. Along the way, many mages looked down at him and smiled, some even patting his back and ruffling his head. When he reached the end of the hall, Natsu saw kids running around the guild. "All right now, brats. I want all of you to introduce yourself to Natsu here. Don't be shy, now!" He said, shoving Natsu in front of them. The kids stopped what they were doing and looked at Natsu. Natsu stumbled and caught his balance and saw many kids looking at him with wide eyes. Natsu grinned shyly and rubbed the back of his head.

"Hi...uh... my name is Natsu Dragneel. N-nice to meet you." Natsu stammered out. Most of the kids smiled warmly at him. There was an uncomfortable silence before a small girl with white hair stepped up towards him.

"Hello! My name is Lisanna Strauss. I hope that we can be good friends." She said, tilting her head the side. Natsu grinned.

"Same here." She stepped back and in her place stepped a boy in white hair, wearing a suit. He looked at Natsu and extended his arm.

"Hi. I'm Elfman Strauss. Nice to meet you, Natsu." Natsu took his hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you too, Elfman. Cool name, by the way." Elfman looked away and blushed.

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Elfman stepped back as everyone else introduced themselves one by one, the nervous atmosphere now gone. By the very end, there were only two kids left. Wearing nothing but his boxers, a boy stepped forward, scowling.

"Er... well, hello I guess. Name's Gray. Gray Fullbuster. Nice to-" Natsu loudly snickered.

"Why are you only in your boxers?" He asked, barely containing his laughter.

"What are you-" Gray looked down and squealed , running away to find his clothes.

"Idiot." Natsu muttered.

"What was that, pink top?" Gray yelled, turning around to face Natsu.

"You heard me, slanty eyes!" Natsu yelled, challenging him

"Oh, it's on droopy eyes!" Gray screeched, lunging towards Natsu. Natsu sidestepped and tripped Gray, causing him to go flying through a bench. Gray got up and growled, looking at Natsu with killing intent. However, before he could do anything, a girl came over him and punched him on the head.

"Gray! Don't hit the new guy on the first day!" She scolded, with her back turned towards Natsu. Natsu raised an eyebrow. Who was this girl? And why was Gray shaking?

"Yes, Erza!" He squeaked, saluting her in the process. The girl turned around and Natsu gasped. She had deep red hair flowing down her side. She wore armor on her entire body and had a sword strapped on her side. She looked at him and stepped forward, flashing him a brilliant smile.

"Hello! My name is Erza Scarlet! I hope we become good friends." She said, extending her hand. He nervously shook it, and with a blush, replied with

"Y-yeah." He heard a snicker in the background and saw Erza whip her head around.

"You got a problem, Mirajane?" She challenged. The white-haired girl glared back at her.

"So what if I do? What are _you_ going to do about it?" She teased, stepping forward and poking her in the chest. Erza growled and shoved her. Mirajane gasped and fell onto the ground. "Oh. It's on." She sprang towards Erza who dodged the attack and began to counter with her own. Natsu snickered and looked away. He couldn't wait to settle in with this guild.

"Hey! Pink-top! What do you think you're doing!" Gray shouted. A vein popped on Natsu's head as he turned his head towards Gray.

"About to kick your ass, you stripper!"

"Why, you!" Gray said, jumping towards him. Natsu dodged him and landed a punch on the side of his head, knocking him back. Natsu looked at Erza fighting and stared at her in awe. He didn't know someone could be this strong and.. what was the word? Pretty? Well, whatever. He didn't know someone could do both at the same time. He smiled. She was definitely going to make things interesting. There was something really different with this girl. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

* * *

Years later, Natsu would often say that it was within the first meeting that he subconsciously knew that she was his mate. It was only time until he admitted it towards himself.

* * *

_Time Skip_

He didn't see her at the guild that morning. This was strange. Out of everyone possible, the great and mighty Erza Scarlet was never, never late. So where was she today? He frowned. Where could she be? Even Gray was here. Natsu glanced at the time. 11:00. It was late. It was far too late. He fidgeted in his seat, uncomfortable.

"Natsu-san? Are you alright?" He turned around and saw Lisanna looking up at him, worried. He gave her a weak grin.

"Where's Erza, Lisanna? She's never late. She's always one of the first to arrive at the guild." Lisanna looked up at him with a wide grin.

"You're worried, aren't you, Natsu?" Natsu blushed and sputtered incoherently. Lisanna laughed and put a reassuring arm on his shoulder. "If you're so worried, then why don't you look for her? I bet you could find her really easily, with your dragon slayer nose and all." Natsu's face brightened up as jumped from his seat.

"You're right! Thanks, Lisanna!" He said, sprinting outside the guild. Lisanna giggled as she watched him go.

"What was that all about?" Lisanna turned her head as she saw Mirajane walk up to her.

"Oh, nothing." She giggled, putting her hands on her mouth. Mirajane rolled her eyes.

"If you say so."

Natsu sprinted on the streets of Mangolia, pausing only to sniff for Erza's scent. She always smelled faintly of the sweet strawberries that she was always eating and he could very easily distinguish her scent from others. So, why was it that today, her scent was mixed with salt? Why did her scent have a ting of salt in it? Natsu frowned again as he weaved his way throughout the streets. Soon, he found himself at the edge of the city with Erza's scent growing stronger every step. He pushed himself forward and found himself outside of Mangolia, near a bridge that overlooked a river. Natsu saw her huddled on the riverside, her feet barely touching the water. What was she doing here? Was something wrong? He hesitantly stepped towards her.

"Erza? Are you okay, Erza? What happened?" He asked, putting a hand on her right shoulder. She whipped her head around and Natsu saw that her right eye, usually bright and menacing, was dull and red. Tears were spilling out of her eyes as her face was scrunched up with discomfort. Natsu immediately rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her stiffen and he tightened his grip on her. "Hey, what's wrong? Erza, tell me what's wrong?" He whispered, running a hand throughout her hair. She began to sob and relaxed in Natsu's arms. "Hey, shh. Shhhh. It's going to be all right. You have me, Erza. It's going to be okay."

"B-bu-but my-my f-f" She sputtered. Natsu simply held her close and wiped the tears from her eye. He cupped her chin and brought her face up towards his.

"It's alright, Erza. It's going to be okay." He whispered, placing his hands on her cheeks. "No matter what has happened in the past, Erza, know that you have me. I'm here for you, and always will be. So don't worry. Whatever your problem, we'll tackle it together." He grinned and Erza gave a weak smile and sniffed, silent tears streaming down her face. He smiled brightly at her, but didn't let her go. Erza sighed and snuggled into his chest. Warm, she thought as she brought her arms in front of her. Natsu sat down slowly and brought Erza down with him as well. He rocked her back and forth, humming a tune Igneel used to sing to him when he was sick. Erza hummed quietly as sleep quicly overtook her. Just as her eyelids were getting to heavy, she looked up towards Natsu and whispered,

"Thank you, Natsu." Natsu smiled towards her.

"Anytime." He replied, "Now sleep." Erza nodded in agreement and quickly fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

_Time Skip_

No. No. This couldn't be happening. It was all a sick, twisted dream. There's no way this could've happened in real life. Yes. That was it. He just needed to wake up. Natsu looked at his arm and punched himself. He reeled back in pain, more emotionally wise than physical. This didn't make any in dreams, whenever he punched himself, he would awaken. So why couldn't he wake up? There was no way that Lisanna had died. Absolutely no way. He did just see her a couple of days ago. She was fine then. Realization hit the dragon slayer as he glanced at his sleeping feline pet. Happy. It was the kid that they had raised together. He watched Happy's blue chest rise and fall as he softly murmured within his sleep. Tears brimmed at the corner of his eyes. She was gone. His first friend in the entire guild was gone. She was never going to come back. And he was the one to blame.

She had asked him. Lisanna had frekin' asked him if he had wanted to come to that mission. But he had refused. Why? Because Gray had challenged him to a fight that very afternoon. He had failed to protect her. It was his fault. All his fault. If only he had gone with them, then Lisanna would be alive today.

It was like an empty hole. That was what it felt like. A deep, gaping empty hole in the middle of his chest. It tore his heart out and left his wheezing for breath. What could ever fill it? What could ever replace it? Natsu knew the answer. Nothing. Nothing could replace the feeling of his best friend. Nothing would ever replace her smile, her giggles, her eyes. She was one of a kind. He would never, ever see her again. And yet... there was someone who could fill the hole for her. Someone who could make him forget. Someone who could make him smile again. But he didn't know. And neither did she. But all he needed to know was that she was sprinting towards his house, wanting to see only person. Erza Scarlet wanted only to see Natsu Dragneel.

"Natsu!" He was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard a voice from outside his house. This was strange. How did anyone know where he lived?

"I don't want to talk to anyone!" He replied, using his hoarse voice for the first time in two days. Outside the door, Erza bit her lip, determined to get in.

"It's me, Natsu! It's Erza! Please open the door. I'm really worried." She said, her voice softening by the end.

"Erza?" He opened the door to find Erza standing there with a worried look on her face. The usual glow her red hair had was faded and there were bags under her eyes. Natsu could smell the dried up tears on her cheeks, and her right eye was bright red and puffy. "What are you doing here?" He croaked, his voice cracking in between. Erza looked at him blankly, not showing him any emotions. Natsu gave her a weak smile. "You don't need to be worried,Erza. I'm fine, really. I'll be there tomo-" Before Natsu could finish, Erza came up to him and slapped him in the face. _WHACK!_ Natsu touched his stinging cheek as he looked at Erza, stunned.

"Stop acting like you're okay!" She screamed, clutching his scarf. Natsu gasped and looked away. Erza growled and slapped him again. "Stop it, Natsu! It's okay to let go and cry. Cry, Natsu. Let it all out. It's better this way. You have to move on." She pleaded, placing a hand on his shoulder. Natsu shook her hand off.

"You don't understand." He said, his voice quiet.

"Yes, I will Natsu. Please-"

"No, you won't!" He screeched, stopping her mid-sentence. She looked at him with wide eyes. He was glaring at her with tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "You don't get it, Erza! She asked to me to come along! She asked me if I wanted to come! And I refused! You know why? Because I wanted to fight that stripper, Gray. It's all my fault, Erza. I could've saved her, I could've done something...anything! It's all my fault, Erza. I-" Erza came up to Natsu and punched him in the stomach. Natsu doubled over and Erza grabbed him again. He looked up at her and found her glaring at him with killer intent.

"Don't you dare blame yourself, Natsu Dragneel. Lisanna's death was not, in any way whatsoever, your fault. No one is in fault for her death. It was an accident. You hear me, Natsu? It. Was. Not. Your. Fault." She growled, poking his chest with her finger with every sentence. Natsu faltered back, looking at Erza in shock. He lowered his head.

"I know that Erza. But it still doesn't make me feel any better. I still feel responsible for her, somehow. I... I don't know what to say. I feel really bad, Erza." He whispered. Erza rushed forward and took him in her arms. Natsu's head shot up and he stiffened under her arms, but relaxed soon after, liking the touch of her armor.

"It's going to be alright, Natsu. I'm here for you. Remember how you said you'll be there for me. You stupid idiot. I'm also there for you. We'll tackle this how we tackled our last problem. Together." She whispered, bringing him closer. And for the first time since Igneel had left him, Natsu Dragneel cried. His sobs shook his entire body as Erza guided him inside, resting them on his bed. She sat with him on the edge of the bed, not letting go, and not saying anything either. She just held him like he had held her a couple of years ago. Warmly. Protectively. She wiped the tears off his face and rocked him back and forth, comforting him. Eventually, day turned into night and Erza realized that it was time for her to go. She softly let go of Natsu who looked at her in shock.

"I have to go," She explained. "It's getting late." She smiled and turned around but Natsu caught her wrist.

"Please...please don't go. Please stay. Just for the night. I-I-I need somebody with me. Please?" He pleaded, looking at her with his onyx eyes. She bit her lip, considering the consequences. She could get in a boatload of trouble if the mistress found out that she had slept over at another guy's house. Not to mention the additional gossip that would go around, thanks to Levy and Mirajane. She sighed and made the mistake of taking a look at Natsu's face again. His wide, red, puppy dog eyes pleaded for her to stay. His face was still scrunched up from the crying he had been doing earlier, and it made him look like a depressed puppy. How in the world could she no to that?

"F-fine." She said, ex-quipping into her pajamas. "But do anything stupid, and I'll knock your face right in." Natsu gave a weak grin and slid onto his bed. She got in on the other side, and closed her eyes as sleep began to work it's spell. Natsu reached across and put a hand on her stomach, reeling her towards him. She squeaked and squirmed but Natsu held his own as he buried his face into the nook of her neck.

"Strawberries." He muttered, while interlocking his legs with hers. Erza blushed severely and was about to turn around to punch him when she heard his deep, steady breaths. He was _asleep?_ This quickly? She sighed again. Well, nothing she could do about it. Although he was so going to get it in the morning. "Erza." She heard him mutter. She blushed again as she tried to escape his grasp. He thought about her when he was sleeping? Should she be flattered? Who knows? All she knows is that when he said her name, a warm feeling spread throughout her body and she smiled, despite the horrible day. What an idiot. Even on a day like this, when he's the one whose depressed, he manages to cheer me up. Honestly. What was she going to do with him? She yawned as sleep began to overtake her, dragging her within its depths. She stopped struggling and put her hand on top of Natsu's, which was on her stomach. What an idiot, she smiled, as her eyelids began to close. It doesn't matter what he'll do. No matter how much of an idiot he is. She'll always be there for him. Why? Because try as he might, he was her idiot. Yes. Hers.

Natsu smiled as he felt Erza relax and succumb to sleep. He snuggled in closer towards her, breathing in her scent. Even on a day like this, she cheered me up. Wow. She really is something, isn't she Igneel? He thought, spooning Erza. He heard her let out a whimper and brought her closer, his face now in her hair. And just before Natsu fell asleep, a wild thought crossed his mind. Could it be that... Erza was his mate? Like what Igneel was talking about? Could she possibly be the girl meant for him. That she was _his _mate? Natsu smiled. He liked the sound of that. He really, really liked the sound of that. Erza being... _his. _And with that final though, both of them fell asleep in each others arms. And, for the first time in two days, both Erza and Natsu went to sleep with a smile on their faces.

* * *

**And that, ladies and gentlemen is the first part to my short series I'll be planning with Natsu and Erza. **

**It was originally going to be a one-shot,**

**But I said screw it and made it multi-chaptered **

**So, many many thanks to Kokuja-Fafnir for helping me out on this one.**

**Thanks so much man, you helped me a lot.**

**And if you're coming from my other stories, **

**Don't worry I'll update Little One ASAP, **

**Just that this one has a little bit more priority because it isn't going to be as long as Little One**

**Read And Review **

**JackQuake **


	2. Second

"When is Erza's birthday?" Natsu piped, asking Makarov. Makarov lazily drifted his head upward as he looked at Natsu.

"Eh? What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, when is Erza's birthday? We celebrate everyone's birthday in the guild and I realized that we never celebrate Erza's. So. When is it?" He asked, glaring at Makarov. Makarov looked thought about it for second, and got a blank look on his face. That's funny. Had Erza even mentioned having a birthday? Did she even know when she was born?

"You know what? I actually don't know. She's actually never mentioned it before." Makarov replied. Natsu's face paled.

"You mean, she's never had a birthday? She's never had somebody celebrate it before?" He whispered. "Old man, when is she coming back from her mission?" He asked.

"Uh.. she said that she should be arriving tomorrow." Makarov replied, looking at him as a large grin appeared on his face. What was this little brat thinking?

"Yosh! Tomorrow, we'll celebrate her birthday!" He exclaimed, turning around to face the guild.

"Yo! Everyone! We have Erza's birthday coming up tomorrow! Why not give her a surprise as she comes back from her mission tomorrow?" The guild roared in approval as many of the guild mates whistled and hollered. Natsu smiled. This was going to be perfect. _Just you wait, Erza, _he thought, _I'm going to make tomorrow the best day of your life._

* * *

Erza walked towards the guild with another successful mission under her belt. It was a long and tiring one this time, and all that she wanted to do was go home and sleep. She sighed as she saw the guild appear in front of her. Hopefully, her guild wouldn't distract her for too long. She really needed a good night's sleep. She raised her eyebrow as she neared the guild. This was odd. The usual ruckus that could be heard across the town was not present. Fairy Tail was eerily quiet. What was going on? It was the middle of the day, they should have already had a major brawl by this point. She shook her head as she reached forward and opened the main double doors to the guild.

"I'm here!" She announced, looking around. The guild was cloaked in darkness as she stood at the entrance. What was going on? She was about to say something when the lights suddenly sparked on and revealed all of her guild members looking at her with wide eyes.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERZA!" They screeched, throwing confetti in the air. Erza loudly gasped as her hand shot in front of her mouth. The guild was fully decorated with balloons and streamers, with a beautiful triple layered cake sitting in the middle.

"B-but i-i-t's n-not-" She began.

"We know," Cana said, stepping forward. "And we also know that you don't know the real date of your birthday. So we decided to give you one. From now, your birthday will be on May 26."

"Happy birthday!" Mirajane squealed, clapping her hand.

"And now, to party!" Natsu hollered, throwing balloons in the air.

"Aye, sir!" Happy agreed, flying around the guild. Erza looked around, with tears in her eyes. Her family had given her everything that she ever could've hoped for and even more. And now, she didn't even know what to say anymore. They had given her a birthday. How was she ever supposed to repay them?

"Guys…" She began.

"Hey Erza, if I ate your cake, would that be cool? Cause it looks reeeealllly tasty." She heard Natsu comment. She clenched her fist as a vein popped in her head. Oh. She knew exactly how she was going to repay them. She was going to beat them into the ground!

"Natsu….." She began threateningly. She saw Natsu take a step backward as he put his hands in the air.

"H-hey E-erza. I-I was j-j-just joking."

"Joking eh?" Natsu eeped and ran away, fearing for his life. "Come back here, you! I'll tell you if you're allowed to eat my cake or not!" She hollered, jumping after him. The guild laughed at the both of them, not knowing that within both of them, a smile decorated their faces.

* * *

Erza walked out of the guild with a huge smile plastered on her face. Nobody had ever celebrated her birthday before. It was a new feeling as she watched people sing for her birth, as she watched people give her presents. She was feeling ecstatic. Even Mira, her former rival, had given her a gift. Of course, the gift was a very revealing lingerie to which she went red in the face and started sputtering, but it was nice none the less. She looked up at the star lit sky and started to make her way home, humming to herself along the way. A cool breeze rolled through in the summer night, making her red hair fly up as she basked in the feeling. Suddenly, she heard the scrunching of rocks and she whipped around, her sword already in hand.

"Who goes there?" She asked, threateningly. She eyed the empty street in front of her. "I know you're there," She commented. "Come out now, and I might even spare you some punishment." She heard a sigh and tightened her grip on her sword, ready to attack at any second. She saw a figure come out from one of the alleyways, their hands behind their back. _It's a guy_, she thought as she looked at the figure cloaked in darkness. He had spiky hair and she could see the white teeth from his grin. What was he grinning about? And why did it seem so familiar? "Show yourself!" She barked, pointing the sword at the figure. He took a step and light finally hit his face. Erza gasped as she recognized the figure.

"Hey, Erza." He grinned. It was Natsu. Erza sighed and ex-quipped her sword, before giving Natsu a smile of his own.

"You idiot! What if I had hurt you?" Natsu gave her a look.

"You would heal me and then my ass for surprising you." Erza shot him a glare to which he shriveled a little, but kept his composure. "Anyways, that's not the point here. What I really wanted to say was happy birthday." Erza tilted her head in confusion.

"But you already said that at the guild. And why were you sneaking around then?" Natsu laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head with his right arm.

"Well, I was nervous whether to do this or not."

"Do what?" Natsu approached her and gave her a penetrating look. She shivered unconsciously as she watched the furiousness in Natsu's eyes grow by every second as he stepped forward. He finally stopped after his face was merely inches from hers. Her cheeks were dusted with a light pink as she never once broke eye contact.

"I… I had to give you a gift, Erza. Not just any half assed gift which would disappear after a couple of years. No. I wanted to give you something that would last you a lifetime. I…er… I wanted to give you something that would make you realize how much you meant to me. Cause you mean a lot, Erza. You were there for me when almost no one else was. So…thanks. H-here it is." He brought his other hand from behind his back and brought out something in front of her face. Erza gasped as she realized what it was. It was a rose, composed purely of fire. It burned brightly in the night as it gave heat of its own. But strangely, this type of heat didn't burn her. It warmed her, gave her a pleasant feeling within her heart. She stood motionless as Natsu looked at her nervously. "I…I thought that you would like this. I mean, to me, you are exactly like a rose. Beautiful, and soft yet sharp and dangerous, your armor is like the thorns on this flower. Protecting what's underneath. D-don't worry, Erza. I made it so that only you can touch this flower. It's meant only for you. The fire won't burn you, it'll only protect you. Took me a crap load of time to perfect, though." Erza gingerly extended her hand, careful to touch the delicate flower. She flinched when her hand touched the flower, but instead of hurting her, it warmed her and made her feel safe. It made her feel protected. Almost like her armour. She could almost forget about her past with this. Almost. She looked up at Natsu who was scratching his head.

"I hope you like it. I didn't know what to get you and-" Anything that Natsu was going to say was cut short as Erza rushed forward and tightly hugged him, banging his head against her cold armour. He groaned and she smiled, holding him at her chest.

"Thank you." She whispered, sincerely meaning it. "It was the best present I've ever had." She could feel his smile against her chest.

"What did you say, Erza?" He teased. Erza growled, regaining her former posture and attitude.

"Don't make me say it again." She said, with mock anger. He pulled away from her and flashed Erza his signature grin.

"Okay, okay." He said playfully. Erza allowed a small smile as she turned her back towards Natsu.

"Now, drop me off idiot." She said, as she walked away. Natsu laughed and ran up to her, tugging at his scarf on the way. Natsu casually looked up towards the night sky and spotted a star falling from the heavens. He smirked and tugged Erza's arm. She whipped her head towards him and he pointed towards the sky. She lifted her gaze up and spotted the falling star, gasping in the process. Natsu stepped up towards her.

"Make a wish." He muttered.

* * *

That night, Natsu and Erza both wished for the same thing. They wished for each other to always be happy.

* * *

Just who was this new girl? And why was she clinging on to Natsu so protectively? Erza glared at the peppy blonde sitting at the bar, putting her arm around Natsu. Natsu laughed and poked her face, to which the blonde smiled and pushed him away. Erza clenched her fist. Did she really have to wear such short clothes? Geez, if she wasn't her nakama, she would've pummeled this girl to the ground several times over. Erza watched her adjust her skirt with disgust. Geez, if she had wanted a longer skirt then why hadn't she worn one? Erza grit her teeth in frustration as she whipped her head around. If she had stared for one more second, she might've actually jumped the blonde.

"Erza?" She snapped out of her thoughts as she saw Mirajane hovering above her. "Something wrong?" Erza sighed and shook her head.

"No, no everything is fine. Why do you ask?" Mirajane giggled.

"Well, your broken spoon is kind of unnerving." She responded, pointing at Erza's hand. Erza looked down in shock and saw her spoon broken in two. She blushed deeply.

"Sorry Mirajane, that won't happen again." Mirajane giggled.

"This is about Lucy, isn't it?" Erza choked

"N-n-no. W-what m-makes you t-think t-that?" She sputtered. Mirajane squealed and clapped her hands.

"Well, for one, you sputtered right there. And two, you've been giving her death glares for the past half an hour. Is somebody a little jealous?" Erza turned red as she looked away, trying desperately to maintain her pride.

"J-jealous? W-why w-would I be j-jealous?" Mirajane laughed and smiled at her.

"Well, she did steal your Natsu away from you. Before Lucy came, everyone knew that he belonged to you. It was as simple as that. And know, this girl comes out of nowhere and steals him. Just admit it, Erza. You are jealous of Lucy." She finished, proud of herself. Erza blushed deeply but didn't say anything. She knew better than to argue with Mirajane when it came to these types of things. The question wasn't about if she was jealous anymore. The question now was why? Why was Erza Scarlet, the mighty Titania of Fairy Tail, jealous of Lucy? Even though she didn't want to admit it, she knew the reason.

It was Natsu.

She had always thought that Natsu was hers, so when he went to Lucy, of course she would be upset. But still. Why was she so jealous? It didn't make any sense. She knew that Natsu had other friends. She also knew that a lot of them were extremely attractive as well. Hell, with Mirajane, Cana, and Levy, Natsu was almost always surrounded by beautiful women. So why was she feeling so threatened with Lucy? Why was she so afraid? Why had she been thinking so much about Natsu the past couple of days? Why was it that whenever she thought of Natsu, which was a lot, she would blush? Why did she want to do indecent things with him? Why was it that she wanted him? Why? WHY? Erza gasped. She knew what was wrong. How could she have not noticed it before? The answer was sitting in front of her but she had denied it for so long. She was starting to like the bastard.

She, Erza Scarlet, was beginning to like the idiot, Natsu Dragneel.

No. No. No. This couldn't be happening! She had promised herself that she wouldn't fall for anyone after what happened in the past. That was _why_ she wore her armor! So that she could protect herself from these things. She couldn't do this. Not after him. Not after what he had done. Not after….Jellal. She quickly stood up from her chair. She couldn't do this. She had to go somewhere. She had to think this out. As much as she wanted to hate it, her heart still belonged to Jellal. She had told herself that she wouldn't let anyone get as close as he had. She had to get out of here. She needed time to think about this. About her. About them. And about...Jellal. Erza shot up from her seat.

"Erza?" Mirajane asked, worry crossing her face.

"Huh? Oh, Mirajane. I… have to go. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I just have to get a little bit of breathing space." She replied as she backed away from her table. "Tell Natsu I'm fine." She added as she ran away from the guild. Mirajane sighed and looked at the table. She let out a small laugh as she picked up her utensils.

"She didn't even finish her cake…" She mumbled, stacking the plate upon her arms.

"Mira?" She whipped her head around as she saw Natsu looking at her with a worried expression. "Where's Erza? Her scent suddenly disappeared and I became worried. Is something wrong with her?" Mira's eyes twinkled as she grinned.

"I dunno, Natsu. She left in sort of a hurry after seeing you and Lucy together. I wonder what's going on with her. You better check up on her, Natsu." She watched his eyes widen as he sprinted outside.

"Thanks, Mira!" He yelled, his voice carrying back to the guild. Mirajane smiled. These two were definitely the most perfect couple she had ever seen.

"Erza! Erza! ERZA!" Natsu screeched, trying to catch up with Erza. He could spot her running in the distance, her long red haur flying behind her. Why was she running? Was there something wrong? What if he had done something wrong? He had to find out was was wrong. After all, he had vowed to always tackle her problems together. Natsu quickened his pace. He had to get to her. He had to. Natsu watched as she ran into the forest, exiting the city. Natsu sprinted faster and finally caught up with her, closing the final gap by jumping onto her.

"Erza! What's wrong? Why did you leave the guild in such a hurry? Is something wrong? What's troubling you, Erza?" He asked, worried. Erza squirmed under his grasp and tried to break free. Natsu tightened his grip in response and looked at her with eyes filled with worry. "Erza? What's wrong? Why won't you tell me? I thought you said that we would tackle all of these problems together." He said, pouting.

Erza grunted as she tried again to break free. How could she tell him what was wrong when he himself was the part of the problem? How was she supposed to tell him that she had a suspicion that she might be falling for him? Could she say that when she knew that part of her heart still belonged to a certain blue haired mage? Would she be able to tell him that she was afraid? Tell him that she herself was afraid of letting anyone get too close to her heart? After what Jellal had done to her, could she face another romance? How could she tell him that the tough girl personality she put up was just an act, and that she was broken inside? That inside the tough armor, lay a small and weak girl, broken and shattered. No. She had to get away. She didn't want to hurt Natsu. That would be terrible.

"Let me go, Natsu." She grumbled, squiggling.

"No. I'm not letting you go."

"Damn it, Natsu, let me GO!" She roared, flailing her arms and breaking his hold on her.

"Erza?" He asked, hurt flashing across his face. Oh no. Not this. Erza did not want this to happen.

"I'm fine, Natsu. DON'T follow me." She spat, getting up and turning around, tears escaping the side of her eyes. No. What was she doing? This was wrong. She shouldn't speak to Natsu like that. What the hell was she doing?

"Erza?" He whispered, his voice full of confusion and pain. Erza flinched at the tone of his voice. The way he had said her name felt like she was being stabbed through the heart with a rusty blade. It hurt. Much more than she thought it would. She couldn't stay here a second longer. Cause if she did, she knew she would just bring him more pain. She tried to steady her breathing and took off running, not bothering to look over her shoulder. Her silent cries penetrated the forest as she ran to her house. She was a horrible, cruel person. She didn't deserve anyone like Natsu.

* * *

That night, when Erza was fast asleep, a dark figure slipped in her room through the window. Erza stiffened when she heard the soft pat of feet touching the floor. Who was here? She gripped the sheets under the covers, prepared to attack at any given second. The dark figure made their way towards her bed and Erza continued her act of sleeping. Just a few more steps. A couple more. Then they were hers. She mentally prepared herself to jump when she heard a soft whisper.

"Erza." It whispered. She froze over. She knew that voice.

It was Natsu. She internally bit her cheek as she heard him come closer. Please. Don't come any closer. Please. She didn't want this to hurt more than it already did. She felt a soft hand brush her cheeks. Her breathing hitched and she heard Natsu freeze before he touched her cheek again, softly caressing her.

"You cried yourself to sleep, didn't you?" Damn him. Damn him and his super senses. Even if the tears had dried up, he could still smell them on the sheets. Damn you, Natsu. "You cried because of me, didn't you, Erza?" He whispered, his warm breath washing over her face. She is not going to cry. She is definitely not going to cry. Please, Natsu. Please go away. You wouldn't understand. She suddenly felt his warm lips brush over her cheeks as she tried desperately not to gasp. "You weirdo. I'm always yours, you know that, right? Stupid. I hope you get better soon, Erza. All I want you to know is that I'm here for you." He said, kissing her cheek one last time. "Bye, now." He said, before softly running to the window and jumping out of the room.

Erza opened her eyes, fresh tears streaming down her face. Her hand held the cheek that Natsu had kissed just moments ago. What an idiot. She knew that he was there for her. She knew that. But there were just some things that she couldn't tell him. Not now. Maybe later, but definitely not now. Her face broke into a weak smile. Take that, Lucy. Let's see Natsu kiss your cheek.

* * *

**Hello People Of Planet Earth**

**This is a Quick Update, **

**Sorry if it isn't as much as the last chapter,**

**But don't worry, I'm preparing the next one to be much longer than my previous chapter**

**I wanted to end it here because I feel as if the next even deserved an entire chapter by itself**

**Can you guys guess what it is?**

**Anyways, Read And Review**

**Thanks to Fanfir, Who helped with the story **

**Keep an eye out for future updates, **

**JackQuake **


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